Carton stapling machine



May 23, 1961 s. K. PAXTON Erm. 2,984,337

CARTON STAPLING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1959 11 Sheets-Sheet 1 330 335 4 l H ummu- JTH/VLEY 1K P xm/v KENNETH P. PQXT v 52/1452 E. EVA/vs IN VENTORS.

y 1961 s. K. PAXTON ETAL 2,984,837

CARTON s'mppmc MACHINE Filed July 9, 1959 11 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 29 JTANLEY 16. Pqxra/v KEN/var 1 PHXTON [1 0, 4, 2MEQ E: En /vs INVENTORS May 23, 1961 s. K. PAXTON EIAL 2,984,837

CARTON STAPLING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1959 ll Sheets-Sheet 4 STA NLEY H. PAXTON +1 BEN/v57 P. Pnxrozv K5 6 i Q 52/1451? 5'. Eva/v5 INVENTORS.

IQTTOENEY- May 23, 1961 s. K. PAXTON' ETAL 2,984,837

CARTON STAPLING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1959 11 Sheets-Sheet 7 STANLEY K. Pnxrau KENNETH P. p xro/v 52,1452 5. Eve/vs IN VEN TORS.

flTTOIPNEY- May 23, 1961 s. K. PAXTON ETA]. 2,984,837

CARTON STAPLING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1959 11 Sheets-Sheet a EZMEE E. E/flA/S INVENTORS.

M y 2 9 1 s. PAXTON EIAL 2,984,837

CARTON STAPLING MACHINE Filed y 1959 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 I49 Saw/45y K. Pnxrav [I a KENNETH R PpxroN EZME/e E'- Eve/vs INVENTORS.

May 23, 1961 -s. K. PAXTON ETA}. 2,984,837

CARTON STAPLING MACHINE Filed July 9, 195 9 11 Sheets-Sheet 10 STHNLE) J5. PqXro/v KEN/W57 R .PHXTON 52.4452 E. Eva/vs INVENTORS.

BY a) y 5. s. PAXTON Efm. 2,984,837

CARTON STAPLING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1959 ll Sheets-Sheet 11 STAWL E) If. .PQXTON KEN/V577, P. 1 4x70 INVENTORS.

United States Patent Oce 2,984,837 Patented May 23, 1961 CARTON STAPLING MACHINE Stanley K. Paxton, Kenneth P. Paxton, and Elmer E.

Evans, Yakima, Wash., assignors to Paxton Sales Corporation, Yakima, Wash., a corporation of Washington Filed July 9, 1959, S81. No. 825,990

Claims. c1. 1-106) This invention relates to the art of converting fiberboard shipping carton blanks into cartons and particularly to machines for doing this by stapling together the bottom flaps of the carton.

Heretofore such stapling has been done by a machine which drives one staple at a time, and in the operation of which the proper relating of the carton to the stapling head prior to actuating the latter is left primarily to the skill of the operator. Notwithstanding competency generally in the operator, this method of working inevitably produced a wide variety in the location of the staples in the carton and in the quality of the product. To safeguard quality, the goal of a high production rate per operator was not encouraged.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine for stapling cartons which will predetermine the location of the staples in the carton, thus assuring a uniform high quality in the stapling operation on all cartons produced on this machine.

Another object is to provide such a machine which merely requires a flat carton blank to be opened and the side and end bottom flaps folded together and then the blank thus prepared inserted into the machine, for the machine to automatically staple the bottom flaps together, thus permitting the operator to spend most of his time in folding up the blanks.

Yet another object is to provide such a machine which will secure the side bottom flaps of a carton to each end bottom flap thereof with a pair of uniformly spaced staples and do this with such rapidity so as to tax the dexterity of the operator in his effort to fold blanks as fast as the machine can assemble these.

industries employing fiberboard cartons as shipping containers frequently employ a variety of different sizes of cartons at the same time or in consecutive shipments. In many instances these cartons vary in two dimensions and not infrequently in three.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a carton stapling machine which is readily adjustable to operate on cartons of any of a wide variety of carton izes, whereby one such machine can be used to staple up all the different sizes of cartons used by a shipper, with relatively little time out for making adjustments when changing from stapling cartons of one size to stapling cartons of a different size.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a carton stapling machine of such simple construction as to utilize only a single stapling device at each end of the carton for driving two longitudinally spaced staples in the bottom end flap at that end of said carton during the automatic stapling of said carton.

it is still another object of the invention to provide such a machine which is rugged in construction and practically entirely contained in a streamlined sheet metal hous'mg but makes use of said housing as the main frame of the machine, thus giving the latter a relatively low weight for the functions performed thereby.

It is a further object yet of the invention to trigger Z the stapling devices by engagement of the leading edge of the trailing carton side bottom flap with the trigger whereby no adjustment of the machine is necessary when the latter is used on cartons varying in width.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a perspective view of a machine comprising a preferred embodiment of the invention taken from the front end thereof with the parts of the machine shown at rest as between cycles of operation and with a carton resting in the machine as immediately following the execution of a stapling operation by said machine on said carton in which the side bottom fiaps are stapled to the end bottom flaps by two pairs of staples.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a partially assembled carton comprising a fiat carton blank opened up, and with the bottom side up, and with the top side flaps folded outwardly around the carton and secured thereto by tape, and with the end bottom flaps folded inwardly and the side bottom flaps folded inwardly thereover and with the side bottom flaps yieldably inclining upwardly from their connection with the carton.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through a staple as thus applied in a carton, showing how the staple is driven downwardly through the side bottom flaps into an end bottom flap and its ends clinched before penetrating the lower paper wall of the latter.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the machine shown in Fig. l but is taken at a reduced scale along line 4-4 of Fig. 5 and looks at the mechanism of said machine from the rear end of the latter. A carton prepared for stapling as shown in Fig. 2 is shown in this view as being inserted into the machine preparatory to performing a stapling operation thereon. The parts of the machine in this view are shown at rest.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical elevational view of most of the machine shown in Fig. 4 and is taken on the line 5-5 thereof.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5 and illustrates the holding-stop switch of the invention.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged diagrammatic fragmentary vertical sectional view of the left stapling device and end gauge means of the invention, and is taken on the line 77 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 and shows the internal structure of said stapling device.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontal sectional detail view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 5, and illustrating the yieldable mounting of the two vertical rollers in the right end gauge means employed in the invention.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed vertical sec.- tional view taken on the line Iii-10 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 and showing the parts of the machine illustrated therein positioned as during a staple driving operation.

Fig. 12 is a detailed horizontal fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary sectional view taken on the line l313 of Fig. 4 and illustrating the operation of the carton side bottom flap responsive trigger for starting the operation of the machine.

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrates the parts of the machine as positioned shortly after the beginning of a stapling operation on said carton. In this view the elevator has just lifted into engagement with the end bottom flaps of the carton and lifted the latter from its supporting conveyor plates to compress the bottom flaps of the carton against the stapling heads of the machine. This view also shows the centralizing rollers of the machine as they have been swung downwardly into engagement with the sides of the carton so as to bring the latter into symmetry with the common longitudinal vertical plane of symmetry of the stapling devices.

Fig. is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 15-15 in Fig. 14 to illustrate the yielding of the flap responsive switch arm and the automatic centralizing of a carton in symmetry with the vertical plane of symmetry of the stapling devices.

Fig. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken in the same plane as Fig. 14 and illustrates the parts of the machine positioned at a point in the stapling operation just in advance of that shown in Fig. 14, at which point the elevator has lifted the stapling devices to actuate these to drive a pair of staples therefrom through the bottom flaps of the carton as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 17 is a view similar to Fig. 16 showing the parts of the machine positioned as at a point in the stapling operation closely following that illustrated in Fig. 16, and wherein the elevator has been lowered to permit the stapling devices to return to their lower position and then lower the carton bottom out of contact with the stapling heads of the stapling devices a short distance. It is to be noted that the end gauges engaging the ends of the carton and centralizing this endwise do not change position vertically relative to said stapling heads at the various points in the operation shown in Figs. l4, l6 and 17.

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Fig. 17 but includes an illustration of the stapling device shifting mechanism at the upper end of the machine. This view illustrates the parts of the machine at a point in the stapling operation just following the point therein illustrated in Fig. 17, and shows the stapling device shifting mechanism shifting these devices equal distances inwardly from the positions they occupied when driving the first pair of staples in the carton as shown in Fig. 16.

Fig. 19 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal detail view taken on the line 19-19 of Fig. 5 and showing the manual clamps.

Fig. 20 is a view similar to Fig. 18 and illustrates a point in the stapling operation just following that shown in the latter view wherein the elevator has risen to again press the bottom of the carton against the stapling heads and lift these to efiect the driving therefrom of a second pair of staples into the bottom of the carton at uniformly spaced distances inwardly from the first pair of staples so driven.

Fig. 21 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the main shaft of the invention and the two main cams mounted thereon and illustrates the positions of the cam following rollers following said cams in the operation of the machine, with the said cams positioned to eflFect the steps in the stapling operation performed by said machine and illustrated resepctively in Figs. 4, 14, l6, 17, 18 and 20 of the drawings.

Fig. 22 is a wiring diagram of the invention.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the present invention is there illustrated as embodied in a carton stapling machine 25 which is built within a heavy sheet metal housing 26 which constitutes the main frame of the machine and includes a bottom shell 27 and a top shell 28.

Throughout the description of this machine, it should be borne in mind that the machine is wider than it is long, to accommodate it to the general shape of cartons which are fed broadside through the machine to perform a stapling operation thereon. Thus, the longitudinal axis of each carton when it is in the machine is disposed transversely of and at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the machine. It is also to be noted that the machine 25 is just as readily operable to staple together the top flaps of a carton, as it is to staple together the bottom flaps. It is customary, however, to staple together the bottom flaps of a carton first, preparatory to packing products in the carton. For this reason the machine 25 is described herein as performing this particular stapling operation.

The bottom shell 27 of the housing 26 of the machine 25 as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, includes front and rear vertical walls 29 and 30 and left and right side walls 31 and 32. To aid in following this nomenclature, it should be noted that all of the general operation views of the drawings show the machine 25, looking at the rear end thereof. 7

Walls 29, 36, 31 and 32 are welded together to provide a rigid tubular structure, rectangular in horizontal section, with rounded corners, and with rounded upper and lower edges provided by horizontally inturned short flanges 33 and 34 having downbent and upbent vertical flanges 35 and 36 formed respectively from their inner edges. The shell 27 is entirely open at its upper and lower ends. The flanges 34 may rest on the floor and support the machine 25 or suitable supporting casters may be mounted on the shell 27 for supporting the machine.

The top shell 28 of the housing 26 comprises front and back vertical walls 40 and 41, left and right side walls 42 and 43 and a top wall 44. These walls of top shell 23 are united together by welding to form a rectangular structure somewhat smaller than the bottom shell 27, with rounded corners, and having relatively large front and rear openings 45 and 46 in the front and rear walls 40 and 41 and relatively small openings 47 formed in the left and right side walls 42 and 43.

The upper edges of openings 45 and 46 have horizontal inturned flanges 49. Bent inwardly from the vertical sides of large openings 45 and 46 are vertical flanges 50. These flanges have short upward extensions 51 which are welded to the inner faces of front and rear walls 40 and 41. The areas within lower edges of front and rear walls 40 and 41, disposed outwardly from flanges 50 are filled in with metal to form apertured attaching flanges 55 which are secured by bolts 56 to upper flanges 33 of bottom shell 27 (Figs. 4 and 5). When the top shell 28 is thus secured to the bottom shell 27, the open spaces in the upper end of the bottom shell 27 at opposite sides of the top shell 28 are preferably covered by horizontal plates 57 which are secured by bolts 58 to the adjacent flanges 33 of the bottom shell 27.

Bottom shell 27 may have a door 59 for access to the interior thereof in which the following elements are mounted. Secured by bolts 60 at their upper and lower ends to flanges 35 and 36 of front and rear vertical walls 29 and 36 are three pairs of vertical bearing supporting bars 61, 62 and 63. Secured by bolts 64 to upper end portions of said bearing supporting bars 61 and 62 are a pair of angle irons 65.

Secured by bolts 70 to lower ends of bars 62 and 63 are motor support angle irons 71 on which a motor support plate 72 is secured by bolts 73. Supported on the plate 72 is a reduction drive electric motor 74 having a rive sprocket 75.

Resting on and secured to angle irons 65 by bolts 76 are elevator bearing cross bars 77 having plunger bearings 78 welded thereto and extending downwardly therefrom at their mid-points.

Slidable vertically in elevator plunger bearings 73 are plungers 79 which have cross bars 89 rigidly secured to their upper ends. Resting on these cross bars and secured thereto near opposite ends of said bars to form an elevator 8-1 are longitudinal elevator platform bars 86. Resting on the extremities of cross bars 80 and secured adjustably to the longitudinal bars 86 by cap screws 87 are elevator platform extension bars 88.

Disposed between and welded to bars 86 is a horizontal elevator plate 89 on the bottom of which are welded a pair of pivot lugs 90 having a pivot bolt 91.

Pivotally connected to bolt 91 is the head 92 of an adjustable and yieldable connecting rod 93 which extends through a slide block 94 at its lower end having trunnions 95 and carries adjusting nuts 96 near its upper end and nuts 97 near its lower end below said block, a heavy compression spring 98 being coiled around the rod 93 between said slide block and a collar 96a on the rod below the nuts 96.

Bolted on inner faces of vertical pairs of bearing support bars 61, 62 and 63 by bolts are aligned pairs of self-aligning bearings 1G6, 107 and 108. Journaling in these bearings are shafts 199, 110 and 111. Rigidly welded onto shaft 199 is a pair of bars 112 forming a lever and having suitable bearing apertures provided near their inner ends for receiving the trunnions 95 of the slide block 94 of connecting rod 93. Pivotally mounted between bars 112 by a pivot pin 114 is the lower end of a link 115 the upper end of which is provided with a pivot pin 116, the purpose of which will be made clear hereinafter.

Freely rotatable on shaft 109, and positioned thereon by collars 117 is a sleeve bearing 118 to which is welded a stapling device shifting lever 119.

Welded on bar 112 and extending rearwardly therefrom is a centralizing roller actuating arm 120. Pivotally mounted on arm 121} on a horizontal axis is a slide block 121, the purpose of which will be made clear hereinafter.

Welded to shaft 111 and extending inwardly therefrom is a pair of bars 122 forming an elevator actuating lever, the extremities of these bars being apertured to pivotally receive the pin 116 of the link 115. Mounted on the bars 122 close above the shaft 110 is a roller shaft 123 which carries a main cam following roller 124. The shaft 123 is preferably received in a bored end of a cylindrical roller mount 125 which extends through a suitable hole provided in one of the bars 122 and is secured to the other bar by a cap screw 126 (Fig. 5). Bars 122 are spaced farther apart than the bars 112 so as to receive bars 112 therebetween during vertical movement of the levers formed by these bars in the operation of the machine 25.

Fixed on shaft 110 in vertical alignment with the cam follower roller 124 so that the latter rides on this is a main cam 127. Also fixed on this shaft forwardly from cam 127 is a stapling device shifting cam 128. Rotatably mounted on arm 119 and riding on cam 128 is a cam following roller 129. Provided on hub 130 of cam 123 is a lug 131 which actuates a limit switch 132 mounted on arm 133 secured to an adjacent vertical bearing support plate 62, to terminate a cycle of operation of the machine 25, as will be made clear hereinafter.

Pivotally mounted on the free extremity of arm 119 is a slide block 14%, the purpose of which will be made clear hereinafter. Mounted on the front wall 29 of the machine 25 in a convenient location, as in the upper right corner thereof, is a starting switch 141.

Referring now to the machine elements mounted in the top shell 28 of machine 25, we find angle irons 142 and stud blocks 143 secured to inner faces of side walls 42 and 43 by cap screws 144, and cylindrical guide shafts 45 are mounted between said stud blocks and angles and secured thereto by cap screws 146. Slidable on shafts 145 are heavy U-shaped brackets 147 to which vertical walls 143 of horizontal conveyer platforms 149 are rigidly secured, as by welding. The platforms 149 have slots 15%) formed in their inner edges which directly overlie the extension bars of the elevator so that when the latter moves vertically through the level of the platforms 149 during operation of the machine 25 they readily by-pass said platforms. The vertical walls 148 of the platforms 149 lie fiat against the inward turned flanges 54) at both sides of the upper shell openings 45 and 46 and are adapted to be adjustably secured to said flanges by clamps actuated by hand wheels 156 to fix the platforms 149 at any common level within the range of their vertical adjustment provided by their sliding connection with the shafts 145. The clamps 155 include screws 157 on which the hand wheels 156 are mounted and clamp plates 158 which are apertured and threaded to receive said screws.

The conveyer platforms 149 are provided to support and slidably convey a partly assembled carton 160 which has been folded up from a fiat blank to form a rectangle of the ends 161 and sides 162 thereof, with the end top flaps 163 and side top flaps 164 folded upwardly about the carton and secured together as by adhesive tape 165, and with the end bottom flaps folded inwardly and with the side bottom flaps 171 and 172 folded inwardly over the end bottom flaps 179 and yieldably inclining upwardly from their connection with the side walls 162 as shown in Fig. 2. In feeding partially assembled cartons 160 into the machine 25 they are fed broadside so that the side bottom flap 171 of carton 160 (shown in Fig. 2 properly positioned for feeding into the machine 25) precedes the side bottom flap 172 of this carton. Although these two side bottom flaps are identical, the flap 172 will thus hereafter be referred to as the following side bottom flap to distinguish it from the side bottom flap 171.

As clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 5, the rear ends of conveyer platforms 149 are approximately flush with the rear end of the top shell 28 whereas the front end portions of these platforms extend substantial distances forwardly beyond the housing 26 of the machine. As shown in Fig. 1, a portion of one of the vertical walls 148 extending forwardly from said housing may be cut away as at 173 while the other such wall 148 is provided with a set block 174 for slidingly receiving horizontally a rod 175 which is adjustably held in said block by a hand screw 176 to selectively position a carton guide bar 177 provided on the inner end of the rod 175. Thus, cartons 169, as they are partially formed by the attendant, may be shifted from a rightward position through the cut-out 173 and into contact with guide bar 177 which has been adjustably positioned to thus locate the carton 169 in alignment with the opening for receiving the same in the machine '25, the definition of which in the machine will be made clear hereinafter.

Mounted on blocks 178 secured by bolts 179 to top wall 44 of top shell 28 are two pairs of aligned selfaligning bearings 18?; and 181, the purpose of which will be made clear hereinafter.

Secured by bolts 135 at their opposite ends to upward extensions 51 of flanges 50 is a pair of horizontal. framebars 186. Spaced downwardly from bars 186 a short distance and similarly secured to flanges 50 by bolts 187 is a pair of horizontal frame bars 188. Secured by cap screws 189 to bars 183 and extending downwardly therefrom short distances inwardly from their opposite ends are bearing plates 199 with aligned apertures in which carton centralizing rocker shafts 191 journal. Welded on each of said shafts and arched downwardly but normally swung outwardly from said shafts and having roller skate rollers 192 mounted on their outer ends are roller rocker arms 193. At corresponding ends of shafts 191, these are provided, just inside of shell side wall 43 with operating arm hubs. These hubs are held against bearing plates 196 adjacent thereto by set collars 196.

Fixed on hub and extending approximately in the opposite direction therefrom as rocker arms 193 extend from the shaft 191 having that hub is an am 200 having a movement limit lug 2511 provided thereon. Welded to hub 196 in the same plane as the arm 20% is welded to hub 195 is a rectangular operating arm 202. Pivotally connected at its opposite ends to arms 20:2 and 2132 and bent, as shown in Fig. 5, is a link 203.

Pivotally connected at 204 to operating arm 202 is a plate 2115, to the lower end portion of which is welded the upper portion of an operating push rod 2116, the lower end of which is threaded and extends downwardly through pivoted slide block 121 to receive stop nuts 207. Push rod 206 is provided with an adjustable set collar 208 and '7 a coil spring 209 is wound thereon between set collar 208 and pivoted slide block 121, the purpose of this being made clear hereinafter.

Secured at their upper and lower ends by bolts 215 and 216 to cross bars 186 and 188 so as to be symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of a transverse vertical plane of symmetry indicated by line 1010 in Fig. are two pairs of vertical spaced guide bars 217. Each pair of bolts 215 also extends through a block 218 (Figs. 10, 11 and 12) which secures it to the adjacent frame bar 186. Extending downwardly through a plate 219 and through a central aperture in each of the blocks 218 is a pair of cap screws 220 which screw downwardly into tapped holes 221 provided in opposite ends of a transverse slide-box supporting bar 222 which is preferably square in cross section. Thus bar 222 is rigidly supported on frame bars 186, and each plate 219 overlies the space between the adjacent pair of guide bars 217 so that a vertical hole 223 provided in plate 219 is aligned with the center of said space. Each pair of bolts 216 also extends through and secures to outward faces of lower portions of the adjacent pair of guide bars 217 an angle bracket 224 which provides a horizontal shelf for supporting a rubber cushion 225.

Resting on each of the cushions 225 is a rest plate 230 having arms 231 welded to opposite edges thereof. These arms extend inward in parallel relation, and spaced out wardly from the adjacent pair of bars 217, these arms being secured by cap screws 232 and 233 to end portions of a pair of parallel stapling head supporting bars 234.

The cap screws 232 are longer than the cap screws 233 so as to extend entirely through bars 234 and screw into tapped aligned holes provided therefor in a spring base block 236. These blocks act as spacers between and rigid connections of opposite end portions of the bars 234 and each block 236 has a portion 237 which lies between the adjacent pair of guide bars 217 and has a vertical tapped hole 238 into which a threaded rod 239 is screwed, said rod extending upwardly through hole 223 in plate 219 and trapping a coiled spring 240, which is wound around said rod, between block portion 237 and plate 219.

Adjustably mounted on support bars 234 so that they can be positioned at different points along said bars to adapt them to cartons varying in length are carton end gauge means 245 and 246 (Figs. 7, 5 and 9). Speaking from the standpoint of viewing machine 25 from the front as it is seen in Fig. 1, the gauge means 245 will be on the left and the gauge means 246 on the right, When viewing machine 25 from the rear, the relative positions of these two means are reversed. Referring now to Figs.

7 and 8, the left gauge means 245 is mounted on a clamp yoke 247 including a horizontal bar 248 having a block 249 welded thereto which fits slidably between bars 234 and when the latter are engaged from beneath by bar 248, the block 249 does not quite reach the level of the upper faces of bars 234. Block 249 has a tapped vertical hole 250 for receiving a cap screw 251 which first extends downwardly through an apertured cap plate 252. When the screw 251 is tightened on the cap plate 252, the latter bears against the upper edges of bars 234 and rigidly clamps the yoke 247 in place in a given location on said bars. The yoke, 247 also includes short bars 253 which are Welded to opposite ends of bar 248 and extend vertically downwardly therefrom. Secured to outer faces of bars 253 by cap screws 254 are vertical downward extension bars 255. Mounted on bars 255 is a roller base plate 260 having an inturned flange 261 along its lower edge and inturned flanges 262, 2-53 and 264 along its upper edge. A series of fifteen idle guide rollers 265 are pivotally mounted between the lower flange 261 ad the upper flanges 262, 263 and 264. These rollers 265 disposed between the flange 261 and upper flange 263 are shorter than the others of said rollers because said upper flange is slightly lower than upper flanges 262 and 264 for a reason to be made clear hereinafter. Mounted on the front end of base plate 260 is a flared vertical carton guide plate 266 for engaging and guiding the left end of a carton being introduced into the machine 25 so that this end of the carton will roll against rollers 265. Welded on the upper flange 262 is a horizontal carton flap guide plate 267 (Figs. 7 and 15), the front end of which flares upwardly to assist in the performance of its function. The guide plate 267 extends inwardly a substantial distance over the space adjacent the rollers 265 so that when a carton is being fed into machine 25 with the left end of the carton engaging the guide plate 266 or rollers 255, the guide plate 267 will inevitably engage and hold down the side bottom flaps of the carton once they are introduced under this guide plate.

Also secured to base plate 260 of carton end gauge means 245 is a switch support arm 268 having a limit switch 269 mounted thereon, this switch being provided with a carton end responsive arm 27%, which extends into the path of the carton entering the machine 25 so that when said carton is properly in place it engages this arm, swings it to the left out of the path of said carton and closes switch 259. The object of switch 269 is to prevent the machine 25 being operated excepting when a carton is properly placed therein to be operated on.

The right hand carton end gauge means 246 (Figs. 5 and 9) has a clamp yoke 275 which is identical with clamp yoke 247 of gauge means 245 excepting that in place of bars 253 clamp yoke 275 has downwardly extending bars 276 on lower end portions of which a roller base plate 277 is secured by bolts 278.

The plate 277 has a reinforcing flange 272 which extends outwardly from the lower edge thereof and a vertical carton guide flange 280 which flares outwardly from the front end of the plate. Welded to the inner upper edge of plate 277 between the guide flange 280 and the clamp yoke 275 on the same level as guide plate 267, is a horizontal carton flap guide flange 231, the front end of which is flared upwardly in a similar manner to flange 267 to assist in holding down the bottom flaps of a carton being fed into the machine.

Welded to inner faces of the vertical bars 276 are bearings 282, and between these bearings a deep opening 283 is formed downwardly in the upper edge of plate 277. Journaled in bearings 282 are shafts 284 of rocker arms 285, these shafts being retained in place by cap screws 2%. Provided on the free ends of arms 235 are roller shafts 291a on which two fairly large diameter short rollers 291 are rotatably mounted. The arms 285 are limited in their inward swinging movement by engagement with the plate 277 and have lugs 223 extending outwardly from their extremities, each of these lugs having a screw 294 to which is connected one end of a contractile spring 295. The effect of this spring is to yieldably urge the rollers 291 inwardly to the limit of the swinging movement of rocker arms 285. The spring 295 is of snflicient strength that when the rollers 291 engage the right end of a carton inserted into machine 25 they force this to the left into snug contact with the bank of rollers 265 in the left carton end gauge means 245. Each carton is thus precisely gauged endwise by the gauge means 245 and 246.

The machine '25 also includes two stapling devices 296 and 297, the first of which is located on the left and the second on the right side of the machine. These stapling devices are identical and therefore a description of one will suflice for both. Referring therefore to the left stapling device 296, shown in Figs. 7 and 8, it will be noted that this includes a slide box 298 formed of top and bottom plates 299 and 300 and side plates 301, the latter being secured to top and bottom plates by cap screws 302. Also secured to slide box 298 by certain of said cap screws are a pair of angle brackets 307, the purpose of which will be made clear later. Extending upwardly from upper plate 299 of slide box 298 is a shifting lug 308. Provided on the bottom plate 300 and extending downwardly therefrom at one end of the ang e brackets 307 is a pair of bars 309 forming a roller bracketing yoke. The slide box 298 has a square opening 310 therein which slidably fits the slide bar 222,

The stapling device 296 also includes a stapling head 311 which is slidably supported on support bars 234. The stapling head 311 includes a heavy head plate 312 having a notch 313 which is disposed in vertical alignment with the yoke 389 for receiving said yoke in the operation of the device 296, and tapped holes 3 14 for long vertical cap screws 315 which screw into said holes.

Stapling head 311 also includes a metal block 317 which is rectangular and fits between support bars 234, and a top plate 318 which is applied to the top of block 317 and overlies bars 234. Aligned vertical holes are provided in block 317 and plate 318 for receiving cap screws 315 so that these extend through this plate and block before screwing into holes 314 in head plate 312.

Welded to plate 318 so as to extend in parallel relation horizontally therefrom is a pair of arms 319 between which is mounted a shaft 320 carrying a roller 321,

Also formed vertically through the plate 318, the block 31-1 and the head plate 312 is a bore 324 for receiving a stapling device actuating plunger 325 having a head 326 on its upper end which is trapped against vertical displacement between the lower face of slide box 298 and angle brackets 387. The lower end of plunger 325 has a threaded stud 327 the purpose of which will be made clear hereinafter. As shown in Fig. 7, side edge portions of head plate 312 extend beyond the outer side faces of bars 234, and have secured thereto by cap screws 328 side plates 329 of a staple magazine housing 330. The lower edges of side plates 329 have inturned flanges 331 which are connected by cross plates 332 resting on and welded thereto, these cross plates having eccentric cylindrical positioning cams 333 mounted thereon by eccentric screws 334, these cams being located on opposite sides of a staple magazine 335 which rests upon the cross members 332 so as to adjustably unite said magazine with housing 330. The magazine 335 may be of any preferred type for spring feeding a strip of staples 340 to the stapling head 311. The magazine 335 has an end plate 341 which performs a function to be made clear later in describing a stapling operation.

Secured to head plate 312 by Allen screws 342 countersunk in the latter are a stapling rocker mounting plate 343 and a cross head guide plate 344, the latter having a cross head guideway 345 milled vertically therein.

Pivotally mounted on bearings (not shown) secured in place on plate 343 by cap screws 346, is a pair of stapling rocker arms 347. Each of these arms has a slender staple clinching needle 348, these needles having double bevel-sharpened lower end edges 349, the function of which will be made clear hereinafter.

Slidable in the slideway 345 is a cross head 350 having a vertical tapped hole into which the stud 327 screws. A staple driver plate 355, shaped at its lower end as shown in broken lines in Fig. 7, has an attaching flange 356 at its upper end which abuts against and is secured to the cross head 350 by cap screws 357. The driver plate 355 slides against the inner faces of the rockers 347 in the same plane in which the clinching needles 348 lie.

Pivotally connected at their lower ends to rockers 347 are actuating links 358, the upper ends of which are pivotally mounted on cross head 350 by screws 359. Secured to the back face of the cross head guide plate 344 by a screw 360 is a cross head stop 361.

Secured to the bottom edge of rocker mounting plate 343 by a countersunk screw 362 is a carton guide plate 363. The front ends of these plates, as shown in Figs. 7 and 15, are inclined upwardly to aid in guiding carton side bottom flaps under the stapling heads 311 of devices 246 and 247.

As shown in Fig. 1, the staple magazine 335 of the stapling heads 311 extend laterally from the machine 10 25 through lower portions of holes 47 in side walls 42 and 43 of the top shell 28 of the housing 26, and have ample room in said holes for upward movement with said stapling heads incidental to the operation of the machine.

The right stapling device 297 being a reverse duplicate of the left stapling device 296, reference numerals used in describing the device 296 may be employed for designating corresponding elements of the device 297.

Attention is directed to the fact that straddling of the roller 318 by the yoke 309 of the slide box 298 transmits sliding movement given the box 298, to the stapling head 311 mounted on the bars 234 and associated with that box. The stapling devices 296 and 297 are thus subject to being separately shifted and repositioned on the bars 222 and 234 by power applied to the extending lugs 308 on the slide boxes 298' of said devices. Mechanism for accomplishing this adjustment will now be described.

Journaled in overhead bearings 180 is a shaft 364 and a similar shaft 365 is journaled in bearings 181. Shaft 364 has a downwardly extending arm 370, the lower end of which pivotally connects with one end of a link 371, the opposite end of this link being pivotally connected with actuating lug 308 of the left stapling device 296. Shaft 365 has a downwardly extending arm 372 the lower end of which is pivotally connected to a link 373, the opposite end of which pivotally connects to the actuating lug 308 of right stapling device 297. Shaft 364 has an upwardly extending shorter arm 374, the extremity of which pivotally connects with a link 375, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to a midpoint in arm 372 at the same radius from shaft 365 as the radius of the connection of link 375 with arm 374. Shaft 365 also has an operating arm 376, the outer end of which pivotally connects with a flat bar 377, the lower end of which is welded to a push rod 378. This rod extends downwardly just inside the housing side wall 42 and is located in the same corner of the machine as slide block so as to readily slide downwardly through this block. Lock nuts 379 are applied to the threaded lower end of rod 378 and a set collar 380 is also adjustably set on said rod a spaced distance upwardly from the slide block 140. Coiled about the rod 378 between said block and said set collar is an expansion wire spring 381. Connected at one end to a lug 385 provided on the free end of cam responsive arm 119 is a contractile coil spring 386, the other end of said spring being secured to a bolt 387 on an adjacent frame bar 63. The object of spring 386 is to keep cam following roller 129 in contact with cam 128 when the latter is descending away from said roller. Push rod 378 is provided with an expansion section 388 for use in adjusting the length of said rod, this section comprising interfitting elements 389 and 390 which are respectively welded to divided upper and lower portions of rod 378 and are adjustably held together by a bolt 391.

Secured to bottom faces of stapling head support bars 234, approximately in the middle of the machine, is a switch mounting bracket 392 (Figs. 13 and 15) which is held in place by cap screws 393 and 394, the first of which also extends through an element 395 having a knuckle joint 396 with another element 397 through a slot in which screw 394 also extends. The cap screw 393 is screwed into a suitable tapped hole in the bar 234 associated therewith and tightened up on element 395 and bracket 392 to hold these securely in place. Cap screw 394 has a washer 400 and a compression spring 401 is coiled about screw 394 between element 397 and washer 400 to normally hold element 397 snugly against bracket 392. Welded to element 397 so as to extend straight downwardly therefrom with its axis a slight distance rearward of the middle of the machine 25 is a cylindrical stem 402 of a carton flap responsive arm 403. Stern 402 has a tapped hole in it for receiving a screw 404 and the arm 403 includes a tubular sleeve 405 which is telescopically related with the stem 402 and has a slot 406 for receiving screw 404 and which permits a substantial degree of longitudinal telescopic movement of the sleeve 405 on said stern while preventing rotation thereon. The lower end of sleeve 405 has a bottom wall 407 (Fig. 15) and this sleeve confines a light coiled expansion spring 408 to yieldably hold this sleeve in its downwardmost position on the stem 402. Welded on the lower 'end of sleeve 405 of flap responsive arm 403 is a flap deflecting lug 409 which is inclined downwardly away from the bottom end of said arm in the opposite direction than that from which cartons are fed into machine 25. On the same side of arm 403 as lug 409, a limit switch 415 is mounted on bracket 392, this switch having an actuating lever 416 pivotally mounted thereon with a roller 417 at its lower end juxtaposed close to the arm 403, and a spring418 which urges lever 416 to hold roller 417 against arm 403, whereby the swinging of arm 403 about knuckle joint 396 shifts lever 416 from the full line position in which this is shown in Fig. 13 to its broken line position therein, thus closing the normally open switch 415;

It is desired to point out that when sleeve 405 is in its lowermost position as shown in Fig. 13 in full lines, the lower end portion 419 of said sleeve which is on the opposite side thereof from the deflecting lug 409, extends about a half inch below the lower faces of the carton guide plates 363 on the stapling heads 311. When the machine 25 is empty and a carton folded as shown in Fig. 2 is inserted in the machine 25 as shown in Figs. 4 and 13, the leading side bottom flap 171 engages the lug 409 and is deflected downwardly thereby whereas the trailing or following side bottom flap 17.2 engages the side bottom flap guide plates 267 and 281 which guides this trailing flap beneath the stapling head guide plates 363. The upper leading free edge of flap 172 thus comes into engagement with the bottom portion 419 of the flap responsive arm 403 as clearly shown in Fig. 13.

Operation The magazines 335 of the stapling devices 2% and 297 having been filled with staples 340 as shown in Fig. 8, and some cartons 160 partially assembled as shown in Fig. 2, the machine 25 is ready for operation.

A cycle of operation is performed by the machine 25 on a carton 160 as the result of a single revolution of shaft 110 and the cams 127 and 128 on said shaft. This cycle is initiated by the introduction of the carton 160 into the machine as shown in Figs. 4 and 13, and then pushing this carton a little ftuther so that the left carton end engages roller 270 of switch 269 and swings this laterally from behind the carton, thus closing this switch, this same movement of carton 160 causing trailing flap 172, guided by guide plates 363, to engage lower corner 419 of fiap responsive arm 493 so as to swing this arm into its broken line position shown in Fig. 13 and close the switch 415. As shown in Fig. 22, these two switches are in series in the circuit 420 of a relay 421 which controls the electric circuit of motor 74. Moreover, switch 132 which is normally open and which is provided for terminating a cycle of operation, is in parallle relation with the switches 269 and 415. Switch 132 is normally open and when shaft 110 starts to rotate, switch 132 closes and remains closed to hold the relay switch 421 closed throughout a single rotation of said shaft.

Fig. 21 diagrammatically illustrates cams 127 and 128 on an enlarged scale and shows the cam following rollers 124 and 129, in full lines, in their proper starting positions directly above the shaft 110- Five radii are then drawn in broken lines from the center of the shaft 110 across the peripheries of said cams and the positions of the rollers 124 and 129 drawn in broken lines on these radii to'illustrate the relationships between said rollers and said cams in each of five operational stages in a cycle 12 of operation which are illustrated respectively by Figs. 14, 16, 17, 18 and 20. These figures are identified in small characters opposite their respective radii on Fig. 21 to render it easy to identify each of these radii with the operational view it represents.

The parts of the machine are shown in starting position in Figs. 1, 4 and 5. When relay circuit 420 is energized by introducing a carton 160 into machine 25 as above described, and the shaft starts to rotate, in the direction of arrows 422 in Figs. 4, 6 and 21, the elevator 81 is lifted by cam 127 as shown in Fig. 14 so that it engages the end bottom flaps 170 of the carton and lifts the carton off the conveyer platform 149 and then compresses the bottom flaps between the elevator platform and the guide plates 363 provided on the stapling heads 311. When the step in the operation shown in Figs. 14 and 15 is reached, the bottom flaps 171 and 172 are compressed into the same horizontal plane beneath the flap responsive switch arm 403 which causes the deflecting lug 409 to hold the sleeve 405 yieldably upwardly with the lower corner 419 of said sleeve out of cont-act with fiap 172. Spring 401 shown in Fig. 15 is operative at this juncture to swing the arm 403 back to vertical position shown in full lines in this view thereby opening switch 415. In this movement sleeve 405 is telescoped upwardly on the stem 402 by engagement of lug 409* with side bottom flap 171 as the latter is lifted against guide plates 363. For the reasons above pointed out, the opening of switch 415 does not de-energize relay circuit 420 because switch 132, by now, is closed.

To move from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 14 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 16, elevator 81 must assume the weight of the two stapling heads 311 and their supporting bars 234 and the weight of the two carton end gauge means 245 and 246, and also supply the power for actuating the stapling devices 296 and 297. This actuation is accomplished by relative vertical movement between. the slide boxes 298 of these devices, which remain stationary, and the stapling heads 311 of said devices which are lifted by the elevator 81. This action causes the actuating plungers 325 of the stapling devices to hold the cross heads 35% and driving plates 355 thereof against rising with the rest of the stapling heads 311 so that as these heads rise with the elevator, a staple 340 is stripped from the leading end of the column of these in magazine 335 in each of the stapling devices by the staple driver plate 355 thereof and the rising carton 160 is impaled on these staples while the concurrent rocking of rocker arms 347 of the stapling devices swings the clinching needles 343 downwardly and inwardly to clinch these staples before they pass downwardly through the lower paper walls of the end bottom flaps as shown in Fig. 3.

In this driving of a staple 340 from a stapling head 311, the front wall 341 of magazine 335 cooperates with the rockers 347 to provide a narrow vertical space through which this staple is propelled downward, and which guides the staple and keeps it in its proper alignment with the clinching needles 348 and chiver plate 355.

As clearly shown in Fig. 21, the further rotation of shaft 110 beyond the point in the operation illustrated in Fig. 16 causes the elevator 81 to be lowered to the level illustrated in Fig. 17. Here we see the carton 160 supported entirely out of contact with the stapling devices leaving the latter free for the horizontal shifting of these which follows immediately, and which results from the cam 128 swinging shifting lever 119 upwardly and thus pushing rod 378 upwardly from the position in which it is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 18. This results in the rocking of shafts 365 and 364 and the shifting, through links 371 and 373, of stapling devices 296 and 297 from their initial positions, shown in Figs. 4, 14,16 and l7, to their inwardmost positions shown in Fig. 18. i

As soon as the devices 296 and 297 are in' their inward 13' stapling positions as shownin Fig. 18, the elevator 81 again lifts the carton 160 into engagement with said devices and' follows through with its lifting movement, as.

shown in Fig. 20, to again actuate the stapling devices to drive and clinch a second pair of staples 340 in the carton 160.

In the balance of the cycle of operation, which follows the point in this illustrated in Fig. 20, the elevator 81 is lowered from its position there shown to where the carton is entirely free of contact with the stapling devices; the cam 128 then shifts the stapling devices back to their initial stapling positions in readiness for starting another cycle of operation; and the elevator 81 then lowers the carton 160 back onto the conveyer platforms 149 and returns to its lowermost position shown in Fig. 4. At this point, switch 132 is automatically opened by engagement therewith of lug 131 on shaft 110 thus breaking the motor relay circuit 420 and opening relay switch 421 which stops the machine 25. All the parts of the machine now come to rest in the positions in which these are shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing description of the structure and operation of machine 25 that this functions in response to the folding and feeding of a partially assembled carton into this machine to staple the bottom flaps together with two pairs of staples which are spaced uniformly from the ends of the carton and uniformly spaced apart so that a uniform product is put out by this machine.

Another advantage of this machine is that it frees the operator from having to locate the staples in the carton and permits him to devote his entire time to folding up blanks to provide partly assembled cartons, the stapling operation on which is entirely taken care of by the machine itself.

Another important advantage of this machine is its adjustability to work on cartons differing widely in dimensions as to width, length and depth. In this adaptation of the machine 25, the horizontal adjustability of the carton end gauge means 245 and 246 on the bars 234 supporting the same accommodates the machine 25 to cartons varying in length and results in symmetrically locating the carton being worked on along the endwise axis of the carton relative to the positions of the stapling devices working on the carton. The elevator 81 is also adjustable in an endwise direction to adapt itself to cartons varying in length. This is accomplished by shifting the extension bars 88 on the platform by changing the position of screws 87 in these bars. To place the initially applied staples 340 at the same distances from the carton ends in cartons of difierent length, or to vary such distances in cartons of the same length, the length of push rod 378 is altered by loosening and resetting the bolt 391 of expansion section 388.

By making the machine 25 responsive to engagement of the leading edge of a trailing side bottom flap for starting the cycle of operation, the adaptation of machine 25 to cartons varying in width is accomplished without any adjustment whatsoever. The switch arm 403, when engaged by the following carton bottom flap 172, halts the carton approximately in its proper relationship with the stapling devices for driving staples as above described. It is necessary, however, for the carton to be accurately arranged so as to be symmetrical with the common vertical plane of symmetry of the two stapling devices so that this plane contains the longitudinal axis of the carton. This function is automatically performed by the centralizing rollers 192, opposite pairs of which are shifted inwardly so as to always swing inward in symmetrical relation with the aforesaid vertical plane. Inasmuch as there rollers are urged inwardly by yieldable pressure supplied by spring 209, automatic allowance is made for variations in carton width. The linkage connecting pairs of rollers 192 on the front and rear portions of the machine 25 assures that when these four rollers 14- come in contact with a carton, the. carton is in symmetry with the stapling devices as above pointed out.

The adaptability of the machine 25 to cartons varying in depth is accomplished by vertically adjusting the conveyer platforms 149 by manipulation of theclamps provided at opposite ends of these platforms so as to set the latter at a level selected to match the depth of a particular carton being fed into the machine, so that this carton will be supported by these platforms with the leading edge of the following side bottom flap 172 inclining upwardly far enough to engage the guide plates 363 of the stapling heads 311 and be thereby directed into contact with starting switch arm 403. Thus the deeper the carton handled by the machine 25, the lower are the positions :at which the conveyer platforms 149 are set on flanges 50.

Although use of the type of stapling devices specifically illustrated and described herein is preferred, the machine 25 is capable of employing various conventional types of stapling devices which are available for stapling fiber cartons. For instance one such stapling device is disclosed in US. Let-tersPatent No. 2,469,054 which issued May 3, 1949, on a Stapling Machine.

While only a single embodiment of the invention is disclosed herein, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in this without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

The claims are:

1. In a machine for stapling free edges of side bottom flaps of a fiberboard carton to end bottom flaps thereof,

the combination of: a main frame; a staple driving and clinching device suspended on said frame, said device being adapted to drive a staple downwardly in a given vertical plane and clinch said staple from above; gauge means on said frame to position, under said device, a carton blank, inserted into said machine with said blank opened and the bottom flaps thereof folded together and presented upwardly with a carton end parallel with, and spaced a fixed distance from said plane; support means for supporting said flaps from beneath; means producing relative vertical movement between said support means and said device to bring said device and said flaps pressurably together, and then actuate said device to drive a staple in said plane through said side bottom flaps and into the adjacent end bottom flap and then clinch said staple; means for producing a reverse relative movement between said support means and said device to free said device from frictional engagement with said carton; means for producing horizontal relative movementibetween said device and said gauge means in preparation for the driving of a staple in a second vertical plane parallel to and spaced a given distance further inwardly from said carton end than said first staple was driven into said flaps; means for again producing relative vertical movement between said support means and said device and actuating said device to drive a staple in said second vertical plane through said side bottom flaps and into said end bottom flap and then clinch said staple; means for producing a reverse relative vertical movement between said support means and said device to free said carton from frictional engagement with said device; and means for restoring the original horizontal relationship between said device and said gauge means.

2. A combination as in claim 1 in which a second stapling device and a second gauge means are provided at the opposite end of said carton which are related to said opposite carton end and the carton bottom flaps adjacent thereto in the same manner as said device and gauge means first recited are related to said first mentioned carton end and the bottom flaps adjacent thereto, and in which all of the other means recited in claim 1 operate in the same manner with respect to said second device and second gauge means as they are described in 15 claim 1 as operating with respect to said first recited device and gauge means.

3. In a machine for stapling free edges of side bottom flaps of a fiberboard carton to an end bottom flap thereof, the combination of: a main frame; a staple driving and clinching device suspended in said frame, said device being yieldable upwardly; a member mounted on said frame above said device for actuating said device when the latter is lifted, to drive a staple downwardly from said device with the plane of said staple lying in a given vertical plane and clinch said staple from above; gauge means on said frame operative, when a carton blank is inserted into said machine under said device with said blank opened and the bottom flaps folded together and presented upwardly to position a carton end placed against said gauge means parallel with and spaced a fixed distance from said vertical plane; an elevator; means operating said elevator causing it to rise within said carton, engage said end bottom flap, lift said carton to compress said end bottom flap and said side bottom flaps against said device, lift said device to cause said member to actuate said device to drive a staple downward in said vertical plane through said side bottom flaps into said end bottom flap and clinch said staple, said operating means then lowering said elevator to lower said device to its starting position and lower said carton out of contact with said device; and means for then causing relative horizontal movement between said device and said gauge means to increase the horizontal space between said gauge means and said vertical staple driving plane of said device by a given distance, said elevator operating means now lifting said elevator to repeat its operating cycle above-recited causing said device to drive a second staple through said side bottom flaps into said end bottom flap and clinch the same, with said staple located said given distance from the first staple so driven, said operating means then lowering said elevator to starting position, said horizontal movement means then restoring the original horizontal spacing between said device and said gauge means.

4. In a machine for stapling free edges of side bottom flaps of a fiberboard carton to end bottom flaps thereof, the combination of: a main frame; two gauge means provided in said frame for engaging opposite ends of a partially formed carton comprising a carton blank opened and inserted upside down, broadside, into said machine with end bottom flaps folded inward and side bottom flaps folded on said end bottom flaps, to position said partially formed carton longitudinally in said machine; two staple driving and clinching devices suspended on said frame above said carton as so positioned, said devices being yieldable upwardly; two drivers mounted on said frame above said devices for actuating said devices, when the latter are lifted, to drive a staple downwardly from each device in a vertical plane spaced a fixed distance inwardly from the adjacent end of said carton and clinch said staple from above; an elevator; means operating said elevator causing it to rise within said carton, engage said end bottom flaps, lift said carton to compress said end bottom flaps and said side bottom flaps against said stapling devices, lift said devices to cause said drivers to actuate said devices to drive staples downward in said planes through said side bottom flaps into said end bottom flaps and clinch said staples, said operating means then lowering said elevator to lower said devices to their starting positions and lower said carton out of contact with said devices; and means for then shifting each of said devices horizontally inward a given .distance, said elevator operating means now lifting said elevator to repeat its operating cycle above-recited, causing each of said devices to drive a second staple through said side bottom flaps into said end bottom flaps and clinch the same, with said second staple located inwardly on said carton said given distance from the first staple driven by said device, said operating means then lowering said elevator to starting position, said horizontal movement means then restoring said devices to their original horizontal spacing and location in said machine.

5. A combination as recited in claim 4 in which said gauge means are associated in their mounting with said stapling devices so as to be elevated with said devices in the staple driving operations of said devices, but do not participate in the horizontal movements of said devices recited.

6. A combination as in claim 5 in which said devices have a common planar axis of symmetry and in which said gauge means are adjustable horizontally in the direction of said axis of symmetry to adapt said machine for handling cartons difien'ng in length.

7. A combination as in claim 4 in which fixed horizontal conveyer means are provided'on said frame for supporting each carton when the latter is fed'into said machine, said conveyer means being vertically adjustable to accommodate said machine to handling cartons varying in height.

8. A combination as recited in claim 4 in which a spring biased control arm is provided in said machine above the carton as the latter arrives in proper position between said gauge means for said machine to operate thereon, said control arm being engaged by the flee longitudinal edge of the following carton side bottom flap and actuated by a short movement of said arm in the direction of travel of said carton; means responsive to said actuation of said control arm to cause a complete cycle of operation to be performed by said machine on said carton as above recited; means automatically engaging opposite sides of said carton at the initiation of said cycle to centralize said carton symmetrically with the vertical plane of symmetry of said stapling devices; and means for automatically retracting said carton centralizing means and halting said machine at the conclusion of said cycle.

9. A combination as in claim 8 in which fixed horizontal conveyer means are provided on said frame for supporting each carton when the latter is fed into the machine, said conveyer means being vertically adjustable on said frame to accommodate said machine to handling cartons varying in height and assure a uniform vertical relation between the upturned following side bottom flap of the carton with said control arm.

10. In a machine for stapling free edges of side bottom flaps of a fiberboard carton to end bottom flaps thereof, the combination of: a main frame providing an opening for receiving broadside into said machine a partly assembled carton comprising an opened carton blank, bottom turned up, with end bottom flaps folded inward and side bottom flaps folded inward over said end bottom flaps but yieldably' inclining upwardly; stapling means provided on said frame; a control arm yieldably suspended on said frame in the upper part of said opening so as to be engaged by the free longitudinal edge of the following side bottom flap of a carton fed into said opening and actuated by a short movement of said arm in the direction of travel of said carton; and means responsive to said movement of said control arm to cause said stapling means to staple said side bottom flaps of said carton to said end bottom flaps thereof.

11. A combination as in claim 10 in which means is provided on said frame adapted to move inwardly symmetrically with the vertical plane of symmetry of the staples driven by said stapling means, into contact with opposite sides of said carton to centralize said carton symmetrically with said stapling means; and yieldable means to actuate said carton centralizing means at the initiation of a cycle of operation of said machine and retract said centralizing means at the conclusion of said operation, said control arm and said carton centralizing means being operative as aforestated on cartons varying substantially in width, without the necessity of adjustment.

12. A combination as in claim 10 in which fixed horizontal conveyer means are provided on said frame for supporting each carton when the latter is fed into the machine, said conveyer means being vertically adjustable on said frame to accommodate said machine to handling cartons varying in height and assure a uniform vertical relation between the upturned following side bottom flap of the carton and said control arm.

13. A combination as in claim 10 in which two gauge means are provided in said machine for simultaneous engagement with opposite ends of said carton as the latter is fed into said opening to properly centralize said carton endwise in its relation to said stapling means; and means for adjusting both of said gauge means horizontally for maintaining the endwise symmetry of each carton relative to said stapling means for cartons difiering in length.

14. In a machine for stapling free edges of side bottom fiaps of a fiberboard carton to end bottom flaps thereof, the combination of: a main frame providing an opening for receiving broadside into said machine a partly assembled carton comprising an opened carton blank, bottom turned up, with end bottom flaps folded inward and side bottom flaps folded inward over said end bottom flaps but yieldably inclining upwardly; stapling means provided on said frame for driving symmetrical staples with the plane of symmetry vertical; means on said frame adapted to move inwardly symmetrically with the vertical plane of symmetry of the staples driven by said stapling means, into contact with opposite sides of said carton to centralize said carton sidewise symmetrically with the staples being driven by said stapling means; yieldable means for actuating said sidewise centralizing means whereby said latter means is operative, without adjustment, on cartons varying substantially in width; two gauge means on said frame simultaneously engaging opposite ends of a carton as the latter is fed into said opening to properly centralize said carton endwise relative to said stapling means; means for horizontally adjusting said two gauge means for maintaining the endwise symmetry of each carton relative to said stapling means where cartons differ in length; a control arm yieldably suspended on said frame in the upper part of said opening so as to be engaged by the free longitudinal edge of the following side bottom flap of a carton fed into said opening and actuated by a short movement of said arm in the direction of travel of said carton; and means responsive to said movement of said control arm to cause said sidewise centralizing means to symmetrically position said carton as aforesaid and to cause said stapling means to staple said side bottom flaps of said carton to said end bottom flaps thereof, and then retract said sidewise centralizing means to its starting position.

15. A combination as in claim 14 in which fixed conveyer means is provided on said frame for supporting each carton as it is fed into the machine; and means for vertically adjusting said conveyor means to accommodate said machine to handling cartons varying in height and assure a uniform vertical relation between the upturned following side bottom flap of the carton and said control arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,723,393 Verrinder Nov. 15, 1955 2,884,637 Wandel May 5, 1959 

